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David Handley is the Founding Director of Sculpture by the Sea, and it was he who made his dream of creating a free to the public exhibition in Sydney, a reality!

Since the exhibition made its debut in 1997 on the East coast, it has been enjoyed by thousands of Australians and has attracted the attention of lovers of art worldwide.

With only a tiny budget and the support of a dedicated team and sponsors, the event first ran successfully, however it was not short of initial teething problems!

Now in 2013, the event has grown immensely and is more popular than ever. With Sculpture by the Sea now exhibiting annually on the West Coast, the exhibition has added even more reason for people to visit the iconic Cottesloe beach.

The Indian Ocean and white sandy beaches together with warm balmy evenings and spectacular sunsets, make an ideal setting for the 70 pieces of work in this years exhibit.

With over 220 artist submissions in 2013, from 19 countries the selection process, I imagine would have been extremely difficult.

The sculptures that feature in this years exhibition are absolutely amazing and I had a difficult decision deciding what piece I would select for my vote in the ‘Peoples Choice’ award.

This award is this year sponsored by Kailis jewellery who have put three $1000 Kailis vouchers up for grabs and after seeing some of their collection in the Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club, I would strongly recommend all visitors to vote for their favourite!

I have a life-long love for pearls and fine jewelley so I lingered for a while at the Kailis display before I continued my morning of enjoying the fun and marvelling at the formations standing tall upon Cottesloe beach.

My children loved some of the colourful, interactive pieces while I found myself drawn to sculptures of glass or metallic materials. As far as my eyes could see, a buzzing crowd of people moved from sculpture to sculpture enjoying the views and snapping away at their favourites!

This would be my fifth visit to Sculpture by the Sea and every year, the exhibition is different. Just like the ocean is ever changing, so is the experience of this exhibition. Different scenes, different memories taken from a visit to the annual exhibition.

This year, I will leave remembering a images of beach of licorice all sorts, a tree full of hanging toys, a lot of little men flattened by a rolling pin and a the most exquisite blue glass whale shark.

This tremendous, free to the public, exhibit together with my family and a picnic lunch, made for a fantastic start to my weekend!

With the exhibition in its 3rd and final week, a trip to Cottesloe beach for a swim and another quick look might jusg be on the cards!